RC TOM Challenge 2018

November 13, 2018

Read The Full Prompt

The TOM Challenge provides an opportunity for you to continue exploring organizational learning and innovation through the lens of process improvement and/or product development, the focus of RC TOM’s second module. In this challenge, you will investigate how an organization is grappling with machine learning, additive manufacturing, or open innovation. These megatrends are likely to significantly affect how organizations manage process improvement and product development in the coming years of your career. The TOM Challenge requires you to (1) conduct research and write an essay that examines how one organization is facing a particular aspect of one of these megatrends, and (2) write six comments that share your reflections on some of your section mates’ essays.

Your essay should address four questions in the context of the organization you choose:

  1. Why do you think the megatrend you selected is important to your organization’s management of process improvement and/or product development?
  2. What is the organization’s management doing to address this issue in the short term (the next two years) and the medium term (two to ten years out)?
  3. What other steps do you recommend the organization’s management take to address this issue in the short and medium terms?
  4. In the context of this organization, what are one or two important open questions related to this issue that you are unsure about that merit comments from your classmates?

Your essay should convey facts, analysis, and your recommendations. It should focus on a single organization (e.g., a single company, non-profit organization, or government agency) and a concern related to one megatrend. It is fine if the concern you choose relates to other megatrends that the organization is facing, but that’s not required. Roughly a third of your essay should be dedicated to each of the first three questions, with just a few sentences dedicated to the fourth question. Your essay should be at least 700 words but no more than 800 words, and must conclude with a word count in parentheses (such as 778 words).

When posting your essay to Open Knowledge, be sure to enter “Machine Learning”, “Additive Manufacturing”, or “Isolationism” in the Topics field.

More details on research, sourcing, deadlines, and other matters are provided in the RC TOM Challenge: 2018 note.  For assistance with the Open Knowledge platform during business hours (9:00 am – 5:00 pm M-F), email openknowledge@hbs.edu. A short video with instructions on how to post an essay to this platform is available at https://aiinstitute.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/how-to/.

Submitted (926)

3D printing in Automobile: End of Invention from 100 Years Ago?
H&M
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:59 pm
Challenge of VW: 3D printing will replace the conventional mass production process of cars?
The Perfect Fit? Adidas Sprints Ahead with 3D Printing
bry
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:21 pm
Adidas has become a first mover within the footwear industry in response to the advent of additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing), and must navigate through certain hurdles in order to shift the traditional footwear landscape.
VISA – Fighting the escalation of digital payment fraud
Greg Andrews
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 1:33 pm
With the fraud battle moved online, how to stay ahead in a war worth billions
Revolutionizing China’s Consumer Lending Industry with Machine Learning
Zzz
Last modified on November 9, 2018 at 6:00 pm
Machine learning and big data are used by online micro-credit providers to grow China's burgeoning consumer credit industry at record pace. Will these new tools introduced in recent years create or destroy absolute value in the long-term? How will the [...]
D.E. Shaw: Double Down or Diversify?
tommac
Posted on November 14, 2018 at 10:25 am
D.E. Shaw has been a pioneer in quantitative investing since it was founded in the late 80s. Since then, it has focused its efforts on machine learning and other AI-based investment strategies.
Building the Way to Battlefield Domination: The United States Marine Corps and Additive Manufacturing
Hill Hamrick
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 7:21 pm
More than any other service, the United States Marine Corps is embracing the power of additive manufacturing to "innovate in place" and provide small, dispersed units around the world the ability to rapidly produce their own unique, mission-specific equipment while [...]
PayPal – Bringing Down the Bad Guys, One Transaction at a Time
traderjoe
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 12:35 am
PayPal is investing heavily in machine learning to fight against fraud and churn
Minority report: machine learning and crime prevention in China
Tom Thompson
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 11:09 pm
The use of machine learning for crime prevention in China
Beyond Bureaucracy: Open Innovation in the U.S. Government
hbs_tom_rc
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Could open innovation initiatives allow U.S. governmental agencies to tackle intractable problems more quickly and cost effectively? Could the U.S. government effectively transition to open platforms to address its most contentious and politicized challenges?
Smart Sales: How Collective Intelligence is Improving Enterprise Sales at Pluralsight
Molly Magoo
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Pluralsight, an EdTech company, is utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning and collective intelligence to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its sales team.
Can the maker of Post-it notes solve healthcare pricing?
Jeff Dean
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:21 pm
3M and Google's Verily team up to beat healthcare costs with machine learning
Machine Learning in the Fragmented Construction Industry
Dareen Salama
Posted on November 14, 2018 at 12:39 am
Machine Learning: Upward Trajectory for the Construction Industry
Machine Learning – In Theatres Now
Anjali Itzkowitz
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 8:52 pm
Movie studios are using machine learning to try to predict audience demand and develop new titles
Volkswagen Hits the Road with the Adoption of 3D Printing
L_401
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 5:23 pm
Volkswagen is leading the pack in integrating additive manufacturing into its production process. But is this technology scalable? Can it ever materially impact VW's bottom line?
MADE BY GOOGLE, POWERED BY MACHINE LEARNING
Farrah Bui
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:12 pm
The introduction of AI and ML has redefined the Google product experience, driving further investment in hardware development and software integration. As information flows become more complex, Google relies on ML and AI to raise the most relevant data at [...]
Eyes on the Road: Deep Learning and Real-time Crowdsourcing at Mobileye
Thomas T. Tommerson III
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 5:32 pm
Mobileye uses deep learning and crowd-sourcing to sense, map, and navigate the road. New ownership under Intel can help provide the processing and connectivity needed to take this technology to the next level, but with data being the driver of [...]
Neighborly: Leveraging Open Innovation to Spur Product Innovation in FinTech
I. Abbott
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:54 pm
Neighborly, the the kickstarter for municipal bonds, can leverage open innovation to develop new products and services to remain competitive and become an even more innovative market player.
Xcel Energy: New challenges and ML solutions
Nametagfriday
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 3:02 pm
Electric utilities are facing new challenges as they try to integrate solar and wind generation. Machine learning technologies may have some of the answers.
Faster, Cheaper, Better: The Promise of Machine Learning for Drug Discovery
Boreal
Posted on November 12, 2018 at 10:38 am
GSK is rethinking its drug discovery pipeline using machine learning
Killer Robots: The Future of Warfare?
V Cee
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:36 pm
The debate continues hotly on an international scale to define, establish a framework, and set norms for autonomous weapons. This will greatly impact the future of warfare, and the international landscape as Great Power Competition returns between major international players.
Building Blocks: Winsun’s Application of 3D Printing in the Construction Industry
ST
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 7:32 pm
Additive manufacturing is poised to disrupt the construction industry with firms like Winsun successfully building 3D printed buildings. 3D construction is both more efficient and less costly than traditional construction methods.
OrCam: A New Vision for Machine Learning
Private Eyes
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 6:24 pm
Can machine learning help people see again? OrCam says yes.
Product Innovation Requires Production Innovation: Additive Manufacturing as an Enabler
ksimmons
Last modified on November 13, 2018 at 2:08 pm
Lumiena, a startup making "smart" LED lighting systems, couldn't find the processing equipment it needed to make its novel products since the technology didn't exist. Thanks to additive manufacturing, it made its own equipment, and this was a game-changer until [...]
Open Research: Advancing Innovation in Public Health
Narmeen Haider
Posted on November 13, 2018 at 9:45 pm
Unlock knowledge to advance life-saving innovation.
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